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Colorado Receives $10.5 Million in FEMA Grants Days After Disaster Aid Denial
DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Receives $10.5 Million in FEMA Grants Days After Disaster Aid Denial

By Óscar Contreras | Denver7 The funds come less than a week after FEMA denied portions of Colorado’s disaster declaration request for victims of the Aspen Acres Fire. DENVER — Colorado is getting more than $10 million in pre-disaster mitigation grants that Trump administration officials says will empower states and local officials to manage their own disaster preparedness. The grants, announced Wednesday, come less than a week after FEMA denied portions of Colorado’s disaster declaration request for victims of the 102,004-acre Aspen Acres Fire. The fire, which destroyed more than 850 structures, including 350 homes, ranked among the most destructive wildfires by homes destroyed in Colorado. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
Commerce City Weighs Six-Month Pause on Data Center Development
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Commerce City Weighs Six-Month Pause on Data Center Development

By Alex Dowd | Denver7 COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Commerce City leaders are deciding Monday night if the city should hit pause on data center development. At their regularly scheduled meeting, city council will consider a six-month moratorium on approving data center development plans or zoning applications. Council communications say the city’s land development code doesn’t address some of the “unique characteristics of data center facilities.” The draft ordinance says data centers can have significant impacts on city infrastructure like power and water supply, neighborhood character and surrounding land use. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
Wrongful Death Notice Alleges Security Failures Before Charlie Kirk Assassination
DENVER7, Approved, National

Wrongful Death Notice Alleges Security Failures Before Charlie Kirk Assassination

By AP | Denver7 Charlie Kirk’s family blames Utah officials and UVU security lapses for his 2025 assassination in a wrongful death notice ahead of a possible lawsuit. Charlie Kirk’s family blamed Utah officials for failing to prevent the conservative activist’s assassination at a state university, in a wrongful death notice announced Wednesday that presages a possible lawsuit. Attorneys for the family said Kirk's death resulted from a string of “reckless decisions” by officials at Utah Valley University that left him exposed to a rooftop sniper, who fired a fatal shot from more than 400 feet away on Sept. 10, 2025. The university has faced harsh criticism for a lack of key safety measures on the day of the shooting. Kirk, 31, had been debating students in an outdo...
Weld County Gives Green Light to Colorado’s Largest Data Center Near Windsor
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Weld County Gives Green Light to Colorado’s Largest Data Center Near Windsor

By Peter Choi | Denver7 The 41-acre project could become Colorado's largest data center, but community members raised concerns about water, noise, the power grid, and outreach. GREELEY, Colo. — The Weld County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 Wednesday to approve a proposed data center that could become the largest in Colorado. The roughly 41-acre data center is planned for the former Carestream Health site in an unincorporated area of Weld County near Windsor. The New York-based company Global AI is proposing the project. During a public hearing on Wednesday, commissioners heard from the company and community members who raised concerns about the project's potential impacts, including water use, noise, the power grid, and the company's outreach to nearby resi...
Democrats Eye New Governor in Renewed Push to Change Colorado Union Law
DENVER7, Approved, State

Democrats Eye New Governor in Renewed Push to Change Colorado Union Law

By Colette Bordelon | Denver7 After Gov. Jared Polis vetoed similar bills twice, those behind the proposal to change how workers unionize in Colorado believe they will have better luck in 2027 with a new governor. LOUISVILLE — Democratic Colorado lawmakers are confident that their plan to change the way workers unionize in the state will be successful next year, hoping that a new governor leads to a different outcome for the legislation. Dubbed the Worker Protection Act by advocates, two iterations of the concept to eliminate the second vote needed to form a union in Colorado have passed out of the state Legislature and were then vetoed by Gov. Jared Polis in 2025 and 2026. Maggie Roesink, who works as a server and bartender at the Hotel Boulderado, attended t...
Colorado Motorists Pay Record Gas Prices Over Labor Day Weekend
DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Motorists Pay Record Gas Prices Over Labor Day Weekend

By Alex Dowd | Denver7 Denver7's Alex Dowd shows how gas prices in the Denver area compare to rates around the country. DENVER — Gas prices in the United States hit record highs this Labor Day weekend. Still, AAA expected millions to travel during the three-day weekend, with Denver listed as the fourth most popular destination in the country. In Colorado, AAA put the average price of regular gas at $4.19, higher than the national average of $4.15. Both of those prices are well above the previous Labor Day record of $3.82 set back in 2012. Crude oil prices are higher than they were a year ago, experts say that makes up about half the price that consumers pay for gas. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
Aurora Council Members Split Over Statewide Fentanyl Felony Proposal
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Aurora Council Members Split Over Statewide Fentanyl Felony Proposal

By Adria Iraheta | Denver7 Initiative 85 would make possession of any amount of fentanyl a felony in Colorado, but Aurora city leaders say increased incarceration isn't the answer. AURORA, Colo. — Aurora's Government Relations Committee approved a resolution this week opposing Colorado's Initiative 85, a statewide ballot initiative which would make possession of any amount of fentanyl — even under one gram — a felony offense. Under current Colorado law, a felony possession charge only applies to amounts over one gram. The resolution opposing the measure now heads to a full vote at the next Aurora City Council meeting. Initiative 85 would also require court-ordered treatment for users and expand habitual criminal classifications for drug possession charg...
Polis Asks Trump for Disaster Declaration After Devastating Colorado Fires and Floods
DENVER7, Local, State

Polis Asks Trump for Disaster Declaration After Devastating Colorado Fires and Floods

By Robert Garrison | Denver7 White House says President Trump will evaluate Colorado's request with 'with great care and consideration'. DENVER — Gov. Jared Polis is asking President Donald Trump to approve a major disaster declaration after two of Colorado's most destructive wildfires burned hundreds of thousands of acres, destroyed hundreds of homes and triggered deadly flooding. Polis formally requested a major disaster declaration from President Donald Trump and FEMA on Sunday to support recovery from the Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain Fires, according to a news release from the governor’s office. The request seeks federal assistance for Pueblo, Custer and Ouray counties after the two fires burned more than 140,000 acres, destroyed 324 h...
Denver Minimum Wage Increase Raises Questions Over Prices, Jobs, and Affordability
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Denver Minimum Wage Increase Raises Questions Over Prices, Jobs, and Affordability

By Sophia Villalba | Denver7 DENVER — Denver's minimum wage will rise to $19.84 an hour on Jan. 1, renewing debate over how higher labor costs affect workers and businesses. Some say the increase is necessary, while others say the higher wages could impact business operations. Every business owner implements cost-cutting methods however they can. At Elemental Bakery and Coffeehouse, owner Cindy Wright chooses to take on more work herself to save some money. “Instead of hiring a dish person, we all do the dishes. We're not looking to raise prices or anything right now,” Elemental Bakery & Coffeehouse owner Cindy Wright said. Spending is top of mind, especially with another minimum wage increase on the horizon. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVE...
Megan Trussell’s Legacy Drives New Colorado Missing Student Law
DENVER7, Approved, State

Megan Trussell’s Legacy Drives New Colorado Missing Student Law

By Danielle Kreutter | Denver7 Denver7 sits down with the parents of Megan Trussell, a CU student who was found dead in Boulder days after going missing, who championed the new law. DENVER — Megan Trussell's parents hope her legacy is one of justice and integrity. Through their support of SB26-120, which went into effect Aug. 12, they hope they continue to strive for that. "I hope that Megan is remembered. And, she is remembered as the person she was. As the unique, funny, magnetic person that she was," said Joe Trussell, Megan's father. The University of Colorado student disappeared in February 2025 and was found dead days later. Megan's parents have long been critical of the response when she first went missing. "One of the most frust...